I agree, I wouldn't have change anything more than that. It is much cooler to preserve this merc the way it is and was! But the rivi taillights definitively have to go
Tyeres another good dead on shot of the front in another magazine that the car wasnt featured in.As I said ,Car Craft revisited this feature 35 years later.That issue had Harold Sauls "David Lee Roth 51 Merc on the cover.
I want to thank everyone for your input. I found a registration card and parking permit in the glove box with a license plate number of BHS217.I can't really see it in the picture, but it looks like the same plate.Thanks again.Great site.Greg
My Merc was at the Sacramento Autorama and fellow H.A.M.B.er on another post was led to believe it was a Bailon survivor by someone who saw it.If anyone has anymore info it would be greatly appreciated.I actually don't know who built it.It's still a mystery to me.Thank you.
Here's a higher resolution scan of page 15 of the July 1957 issue of CAR CRAFT: __________________________________________________ Your car is definitely "The Philip Sauers '51 Mercury" : __________________________________________________ The Philip Sauers car was just one of the several '49-'51 Mercs featured in the ten-page article entitled "THOSE MARVELOUS MERCS: 49-50-51" ... it also featured Hank Bisetti's '49, Sonny Morris' '50, Bob Reinfried's '50, Buddy Alcorn's '50, Picho Portillo's '51, & Wayne Badger's '51. Only in the caption next to the head-on photo of the Sonny Morris '50 Merc does this July '57 CAR CRAFT article makes mention of Joe Bailon ("Bailon's Custom Shop modified original Merc grille cavity beyond recognition...") ... so I can neither confirm nor deny that your Merc is a Bailon survivor. Note also that Joe Bailon authored the "CUSTOM QUERIES" column for CAR CRAFT in the 50's ... including this July '57 issue ... so who knows??? ... the mystery continues ... __________________________________________________
Did you ask Bailon about it at the Autorama? He was there, I spoke with him a bit about a friends car...
Greg, it was great meeting you and your wife this past weekend at the Merc show and helping you push the car out. Hope you made it home safely. I think you should bring this car back to exactly how it was in Car Craft, just maybe a little lower. The taillights looked great in the rear bumperguards in the picture you had at the show from the magazine article.
It was nice meeting you too.Thanks for your help.Made it home safely.Before I knew the car had any history I had a lot of different ideas about the car.You're right about bringing it back to the way it was in the picture.The only difference is I'll keep the Hemi in it.I never did see Bailon.
I just found out a liitle more history on my Merc.It was show again in Car Craft's 30th Anniversary isuue,just like 00 MACK said.I was able to get a copy of the magazine from V4 on the HAMB.My car actually had a name,it was called "OL' Shasta and the build cost $4,000.Anyone ever hear of a gas station/diner called POP's?
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